Light

Abstract

An improved light adapted to be connected to a wheel of, e.g., a bicycle. In preferred form, the light is fixed to the wheel in a manner that orients the light's battery on an axis positioned substantially radially of the wheel, and that orients the light's battery radially inward of the light's bulb relative to the wheel's axis. A switch spring is provided in the light's housing that normally biases the battery out of electrical contact with the bulb when the wheel is not rotating, i.e., when the bicycle is not in use, but which permits the battery to be biased into electrical contact with the bulb in response to centrifugal force when the wheel is rotating, i.e., when the bicycle is in use. Thus, the light turns off automatically when the bicycle is not being ridden, and turns on automatically in response to centrifugal force when the bicycle is being ridden, when the light is mounted on a bicycle's wheel.

Having described in detail the preferred embodiments of my invention, what I desire to claim and protect by Letters Patent is: 
     
       1. A centrifugally operable light for mounting on a bicycle wheel, said light comprising a housing adapted to receive a battery therein,   a light bulb carried in said housing,   a centrifugally operable switch connecting said battery and said bulb, said switch being movable from an off position at which said light bulb is not lighted to an on position at which said light bulb is lighted in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel, and said switch being movable from said on position back to said off position in response to the lack of centrifugal force when rotation of said wheel is stopped,   a manually operable activator connected in operable relation with said centrifugally operable switch, said activator structure permitting selection by a user of one of (a) an active attitude for said light in which said centrifugally operable switch is rendered operative to turn said lgiht bulb on and off in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel or the lack thereof, and (b) an inactive attitude for said light in which said centrifugally operable switch is rendered inoperative to prevent turning said light bulb on in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel, and   a connector adapted to connect said light to said wheel.   
     
     
       2. A light as set forth in claim 1, said centrifugal switch being comprised of a switch spring interposed between said light bulb and said battery, said switch spring normally biasing said battery away from electrical contact with said light bulb when said wheel is not rotating, and said switch spring permitting said battery to move into electrical contact with said light bulb in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel when said wheel is rotating.   
     
     
       3. A light as set forth in claim 2, said light further including a contact spring interposed between said battery and said housing, said contact spring maintaining electrical contact between said battery and said housing when said switch is in the active light bulb on attitude.   
     
     
       4. A light as set forth in claim 1, said light further comprising fine adjustment structure connected with said switch, said fine adjustment structure permitting the response of said switch to be varied as required to maintain operability of said switch, the operational attitude of said fine adjustment structure being dependent on the weight of said battery.   
     
     
       5. A light as set forth in claim 1, said connector being structured to permit said light to slide along said spoke in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel when said light is mounted on said wheel, said light sliding along said spoke until said light abuts said wheel's rim, thereby positioning said light adjacent said wheel's tire. 
     
     
       6. A centrifugally operable light for mounting on a bicycle wheel, said light comprising a housing adapted to receive a battery therein,   a light bulb carried in said housing,   a centrifugally operable switch connecting said battery and said bulb, said switch being movable from an off position at which said light bulb is not lighted to an on position at which said light bulb is lighted in response to centrifugal force on said battery generated by rotation of said wheel, and said switch being movable from said on position back to said off position in response to the lack of centrifugal force on said battery when rotation of said wheel is stopped,   fine adjustment structure connected with said switch, said fine adjustment structure permitting the response of said switch to be varied as required to maintain operability of said switch, the operational attitude of said fine adjustment structure being dependent on the weight of said battery, and   a connector adapted to connect said light to said wheel.   
     
     
       7. A light as set forth in claim 6, said light further including activator structure connected to said light, said activator structure permitting selection by a user of one of an active attitude in which said switch is movable between said light bulb on and light bulb off positions in response to centrifugal force generated by said wheel or the lack thereof, and an inactive attitude in which said switch is rendered inoperative to preclude lighting of said light bulb even if said wheel is rotated.   
     
     
       8. A light as set forth in claim 6, said connector being structured to permit said light to slide along said spoke in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel when said light is mounted on said wheel, said light sliding along said spoke until said light abuts said wheel's rim, thereby positioning said light adjacent said wheel's tire. 
     
     
       9. A light as set forth in claim 6, said switch being comprised of a switch spring interposed between said light bulb and said battery, said switch spring normally biasing said battery away from electrical contact with said light bulb when said wheel is not rotating, and said switch spring permitting said battery to move into electrical contact with said light bulb in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel when said wheel is rotating.   
     
     
       10. A light as set forth in claim 9, said light further including a contact spring interposed between said battery and said housing, said contact spring maintaining electrical contact between said battery and said housing at least when said switch is in the active light bulb on attitude.   
     
     
       11. A centrifugally operable light for mounting on the spokes of a bicycle wheel, said light comprising a housing adapted to receive a battery therein,   a light bulb carried in said housing,   a centrifugally operable switch connecting said battery and said bulb, said switch being movable from an off position at which said light bulb is not lighted to an on position at which said light bulb is lighted in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel, and said switch being movable from said on position back to said off position in response to the lack of centrifugal force when rotation of said wheel is stopped, and   a connector adapted to connect said light to a spoke of said wheel, said connector being structured to permit said light to slide along said spoke in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel when said light is mounted on said wheel, said light sliding along said spoke until said light abuts said wheel's rim, thereby positioning said light adjacent said wheel's tire.   
     
     
       12. A light as set forth in claim 11, including activator structure connected to said light, said activator structure permitting selection by a user of one of an active attitude in which said switch is movable between said light bulb on and light bulb off positions in response to centrifugal force generated by said wheel or the lack thereof, and an inactive attitude in which said switch is rendered inoperative to preclude lighting of said light bulb even if said wheel is rotated.   
     
     
       13. A light as set forth in claim 11, said light further comprising fine adjustment structure connected with said switch, said fine adjustment structure permitting the response of said switch to be varied as required to maintain operability of said switch, the operational attitude of said fine adjustment structure being dependent on the weight of said battery.   
     
     
       14. A light as set forth in claim 11, said centrifugal switch being comprised of a switch spring interposed between said light bulb and said battery, said switch spring normally biasing said battery away from electrical contact with said light bulb when said wheel is not rotating, and said switch spring permitting said battery to move into electrical contact with said light bulb in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel when said wheel is rotating.   
     
     
       15. A light as set forth in claim 14, said light further including a contact spring interposed between said battery and said housing, said contact spring maintaining electrical contact between said battery and said housing at least when said switch is in the active light bulb on attitude.   
     
     
       16. A centrifugally operable light for mounting on a bicycle wheel, said light comprising a housing adapted to receive a battery therein, the longitudinal axis of said battery being generally radially oriented relative to the hub of said wheel when said light is mounted on said wheel,   a light bulb carried in said housing, said light bulb being positioned radially outward of said battery when said light is mounted on said wheel,   a switch spring operably connecting said battery and said bulb, said battery being movable along its longitudinal axis against the bias of said spring from an off position at which said light bulb is not lighted to an on position at which said light bulb is lighted in response to centrifugal force on said battery generated by rotation of said wheel, and said battery being movable along its longitudinal axis in response to the bias of said spring from said on position back to said off position in response to the lack of centrifugal force on said battery when rotation of said wheel is stopped, and   a connector adapted to connect said light to said wheel, said connector being structured to permit said light to slide along said spoke in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel when said light is mounted on said wheel, said light sliding along said spoke until said light abuts said wheel's rim, thereby positioning said light adjacent said wheel's tire.   
     
     
       17. A centrifugally operable light for mounting on a bicycle wheel, said light comprising a housing adapted to receive a battery therein, the longitudinal axis of said battery being generally radially oriented relative to the hub of said wheel when said light is mounted on said wheel,   a light bulb carried in said housing, said light bulb being positioned radially outward of said battery when said light is mounted on said wheel,   a switch spring operably connecting said battery and said bulb, said battery being movable along its longitudinal axis against the bias of said spring from an off position at which said light bulb is not lighted to an on position at which said light bulb is lighted in response to centrifugal force on said battery generated by rotation of said wheel, and said battery being movable along its longitudinal axis in response to the bias of said spring from said on position back to said off position in response to the lack of centrifugal force on said battery when rotation of said wheel is stopped,   a manually operable activator connected in operable relation with said centrifugally operable switch, said activator structure permitting selection by user of one of (a) an active attitude for said light in which said centrifugally operable switch is rendered operative to turn said light bulb on and off in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel or the lack thereof, and (b) an inactive attitude for said light in which said centrifugally operable switch is rendered inoperative to prevent turning said light bulb on in response to centrifugal force generated by rotation of said wheel, and   a connector adapted to connect said light to said wheel.